Quote from Forum Archives on July 19, 2005, 9:42 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

The transition to a new website has begun. It will take several months to
make this transition and during this time the old website will remain at the
current url www.theburningbush.org and the new website will be at the url
www.theburningbush.net. Both websites will remain active until the
transition is complete and new devotionals will be posted at the new
website. All of the devotionals written during 2005 are available there.

The new website url is www.theburningbush.net

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
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The Burning Bush Devotional

1,355 New Subscribers since November 2004

07.20.05

When Temptation Comes

(Originally sent 02.17.03)

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love
as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or
reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were
called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For 'he who would love life
and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from
speaking deceit.' - 1 Peter 3:8-10.

It must have been horrifying for Lindsey Harris. She had no way of knowing
the intentions of her stepmother, Clara Harris (Clara ran over her husband
and then ran over him a few more times to make sure he was dead. Her husband
was having an affair and to be fair Clara had been provoked. But this is
still not the way that we as Christians should react in such situations.).
It must have been a tremendous shock when Clara told Lindsey she could kill
her husband and get away with it. Lindsey testified, "She said she could
kill my father for what he had done and get away with it. She was calm, and
I didn't think anything of it. I knew she wouldn't do anything like that."
But she did.

How many people have encountered the opportunity to do right or to do wrong?
We would call it temptation. When those ugly situations come along whether
it is a cheating spouse or the opportunity to illegally pocket some money
what do we do? During times of temptation there seems to be a something
drawing us to do wrong. It is not God. It may be the enemy or just our
flesh. You could call it a voice but it is unlike an audible voice. However,
during those times of temptations there is another voice that is speaking at
the same time. That other voice is the voice of reason, the voice of our
conscience and the voice of God.

Peter shares some reasons why we should listen to the restraining voice
during times of temptation. Before we give in and succumb - remember the
rewards of obedience. Obedience opens the door to God's blessings in our
lives. Disobedience closes the door. Our lives, as we choose to obey become
blessings in the lives of those around us. So, when we resist the voice of
temptation we open up the door for God to bless our lives and at the same
time become a blessing to those around us.

But the greatest reason of all for our choosing to obey instead of
succumbing to temptation is because of God's great mercy. During those times
of temptation let us turn our eyes upon Jesus. As Peter puts it, "knowing
that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,
from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with
the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
(1 Peter 1:18-19)."

So obey, be blessed and become a blessing to others remembering how great a
salvation you have been given.

Copyright © 2003-2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush
website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email
version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would
like to encourage you to visit this great site at ww.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has recently added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
www.christianpost.com.
If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
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There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

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Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
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peoplefaces.ohzone.net/index2.htm